Download Lesson – 8 The Mission of Jesus

Lesson – 8
May 23, 2015
Gladwin Mathews
Lesson – 8 The Mission of Jesus
Read for your study: - Luke 15:4-7, 11-32; 16:19-31; 18:35-43; 19:1-10
Memory text: - “The Son of man has come to seek and save that which was lost.” (Luke
19:10)
Introduction: - Two thousand years ago, Jesus entered the world – a world of poverty, chaos,
oppression, injustice and war. It was a world where hope seemed beyond reach and this world
was engulfed in sin. But ‘God so loved the world that He gave His begotten Son…’ (John 3:16).
An essential part of Jesus’ mission was, of course, to die for our sins on the cross and, through
repentance and faith in him, open the way for us to experience eternal life with the Father.
Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us”. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins!
Ellen G. White puts it this way saying, “In the apostasy, man alienated himself from God; earth
was cut off from heaven. Across the gulf that lay between, there could be no communion. But
through Christ, earth is again linked with heaven. With His own merits, Christ has bridged the
gulf which sin had made so that the ministering angels can hold communion with man. Christ
connects fallen man in his weakness and helplessness with the Source of infinite power.—Ellen
G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 20.1. Compare PP 184.2.
But there is more! The salvation of man was only a part of Christ’s reason for coming to this
earth. There was a larger, broader, deeper reason that Adventists have been helped to see through
the insights given to us by the Spirit of Prophecy. By His life and His death, Jesus came to teach
us a number of very important lessons. Shouldn’t we be putting this larger view together so
we can see the whole picture? Let us dive into our study and learn!
The Lost sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son: - We often talk about people seeking
God; in reality, God is seeking us. Several times in Jesus’ life, He shows that He was a man on a
mission. He had a purpose, which He intentionally fulfilled. Even at a young age, Jesus knew
that He “must be about (His) Father’s business” (Luke 2:49, KJV).
Ellen White says, “The soul that has given himself to Christ is more precious in His sight than
the whole world. The Saviour would have passed through the agony of Calvary that one might be
saved in His kingdom. He will never abandon one for whom He has died. Unless His followers
choose to leave Him, He will hold them fast.” -Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 483.
All through the Gospels, we see Jesus call to repentance and forgive the worst of sinners. No one
is too sinful to come to Him. In fact, He goes after those who are lost, as the parables of the lost
sheep and lost coin show (Luke 15:1–10).
“By the lost sheep Christ represents not only the individual sinner but the one world that has
apostatized and has been ruined by sin”. -Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 190.
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Lesson – 8
May 23, 2015
Gladwin Mathews
Commenting on the parable of the lost coin, Ellen White writes, “The coin, though lying among
dust and rubbish, is a piece of silver or gold still. Its owner seeks it because it is of value. So,
every soul, however degraded by sin, is in God's sight accounted precious. As the coin bears the
image and superscription of the reigning power, so man at his creation bore the image and
superscription of God; and though now marred and dim through the influence of sin, the traces of
this inscription remain upon every soul.-Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 194.
In the story of the prodigal son, Jesus teaches that God will always welcome with open arms
those who come to Him with a repentant heart (Luke 15:21–22; cf. Isaiah 57:15). Even today,
Jesus continues to seek and save those who humbly place their faith in Him (Matt. 11:29; 18:3 –
4; Rev. 3:20).
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar in Luke 18. When the blind beggar calls out to him for mercy, Jesus
asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” Why would Jesus ask this question? Wasn’t the
answer obvious? Are there some blind and sick people who do not want to be healed?
Luke tells us that the healed man “followed Jesus” (18:43). Where was Jesus going at the time
(vs 31-33 of this same chapter)? What would the man soon see? Jesus Meets with Zacchaeus in
Luke 19.
We have commonly understood in this story as a time when Zacchaeus repents. Instead, it must
be noted that the text shows Zacchaeus as an already reformed man who is still labeled as a
sinner by his community. Look again at the account and see if you see any merit in this view!
Jesus describes his mission in Luke 19:10. Many religions speak of the human search for the
divine. Here, Jesus speaks of his initiative in saving the lost.
Question: - What could be the other purpose of Jesus’ coming?
But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of
man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the
inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it
was to vindicate the character of God before the universe. To this result of His great
sacrifice–its influence upon the intelligences of other worlds, as well as upon man–the Saviour
looked forward when just before His crucifixion He said: “Now is the judgment of this world:
now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all
unto Me.” John 12:31, 32. The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only
make heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it would justify God and His
Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan. It would establish the perpetuity of the law
of God and would reveal the nature and the results of sin.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and
Prophets 68.2-69.0 (1890); Reflecting Christ 50.3 (1985).
“By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels...Not alone for
His earthborn children was this revelation given. Our little world is the lesson book of the
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Lesson – 8
May 23, 2015
Gladwin Mathews
universe. God’s wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into
which “angels desire to look,” [1 Peter 1:12] and it will be their study throughout endless ages.—
Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages 19.2 (1898); AG 45.3; LDE 31.1; OFC 200.3; Reflecting
Christ 15.4 (1985).
“To the angels and the unfallen worlds the cry, “It is finished,” had a deep significance. It was
for them as well as for us that the great work of redemption had been accomplished. . . . Not until
the death of Christ was the character of Satan clearly revealed to the angels or to the unfallen
worlds. The arch apostate had so clothed himself with deception that even holy beings had not
understood his principles. They had not clearly seen the nature of his rebellion.—Ellen G.
White, The Desire of Ages 758.3 (1898).
Many times during Christ’s ministry, He sought to forgive those whom the self-righteous leaders
of the day shunned. He sought out and saved the woman at the well and the Samaritans of her
town (John 4:39–41), the sinful woman with the alabaster jar (Luke 7:37), and even one of His
own disciples, Matthew, who had been a tax collector (Matthew 9:9).
In Matthew 9Jesus was criticized for “eating with tax collectors and sinners” (verse 11), and
once again Jesus responded by stating His mission: “I have not come to call the righteous, but
sinners” (verse 13). Jesus’ goal was to save. It was a goal that He reached: “I have brought you
glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).
When Jesus began His ministry on earth, by standing up in the synagogue in Nazareth to read the
Scriptures, He outlined His mandate – “to preach good news to the poor....to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the
year of the Lord’s favour.....” (Luke 4:18-19).
In the last days of His earthly life, Jesus “resolutely set out for Jerusalem,” where He knew He
would be killed (Luke 9:51). It could be said that the fundamental mission of Jesus was to fulfill
God’s plan of saving the lost. Jesus put it this way in Luke 19:10 “The Son of Man came to
seek and to save the lost.” Jesus had just been criticized for going to the house of a “sinner.”
Jesus responded by affirming His mission was to save people who needed saving. Their
reputation for sinfulness was not a reason to avoid them; rather, it was a reason to seek them out.
Jesus came from heaven to preach the Good News – to give people an understanding of the
Kingdom of God and the eternal hope that they had through Him. And Jesus particularly
delighted in doing this among the impoverished, the weak, the hurting and the rejected in
society. Jesus not only preached the Good News through His words, but He powerfully
demonstrated the Good News through His actions! Throughout the Bible we see God’s
compassion and concern for those in need. In the Old Testament, He constantly commanded His
people to reflect His heart to those around them. Read Isaiah 1:17 and feel the strength of God’s
command to “learn to do right”, or in Jeremiah 22:3 to “do what is just”. God went as far as
saying that “there should be no poor among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4-5).
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Lesson – 8
May 23, 2015
Gladwin Mathews
Unfortunately, this was a lesson that God’s people struggled to learn – and in Isaiah 58 we see
God’s frustration with His people because of this.
Jesus came to reconcile a broken world – to put into a right relationship all He created – and
bring in a kingdom of righteousness, peace and justice. This is something that He has started, and
which will be completed when He comes again! In the meantime we still live in a world where
there is enormous need, poverty, injustice and pain.
As God’s people, we are commanded to show His compassion to the poor. We are called to be
His hands and feet in a hurting world. And this is not optional. It is a responsibility with which
we are entrusted and are expected to fulfill!
God Bless You!!!
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